A Look Back at My First Post-Grad Year

My first year after college has been far better than I ever could have expected.

I, like so many college grads, thought graduating and moving home was going to be a death sentence. How would I be able to go out every weekend? And see my friends all the time?

Well contrary what I had believed, I learned that post-grad life is actually better than college. I don’t ever remember being as happy as I am now. Whoever said “college is the best four years of your life” is full of crap because, I’m living the best years of my life now.

Am I living at home? Yes. Am I working the dream job? No.

But you know what I am doing? Chasing my dreams, working hard, spending time with the people that mean the most to me, and loving every second of it.

This year I’ve learned a lot about life and myself. I learned how hard it’s going to be to make it in the industry that I love and how important it is to focus on yourself every once in a while. I have become more confident in my work recently, realizing that I can make it. I have also gotten rid of everything toxic in my life and remembered to take time for myself everyday even if it is just a few minutes. I feel good in every way possible. I feel healthy, confident, and happy. Isn’t that what life is about?

This past year has been so many things to me. It’s been an adjustment, a reality check and a gift. I got to watch football with my dad on Sundays and the Bachelor with my mom on Mondays and was able to harass my brother whenever I felt like it. I realized being home isn’t so bad (plus it’s free, can’t beat that).

I accepted my first job in the newsroom that I grew up dreaming of working in, and when I realized that newspaper wasn’t my goal after all, I got a job at a local TV station. I’ve been praised and criticized from editors and managers and because of that, I grew and realized my strengths and weaknesses.

I went on a date for the first time ever and it wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be. I matured, I stopped caring about drama and stopped feeding into unnecessary things that surround it. I stopped caring how many likes I got on Instagram or about staying in on a Friday night. I gained an absurd amount of confidence and started making my dreams a reality.

I still have so much work to do and I’m nowhere close to where I want to be and some days that’s harder than others, but I’ve realized what needs to be done to get to where I want to be and I’m working towards that every day. Yes, I live a busy life. I work three jobs and rarely have a day off and that’s okay. I enjoy being busy and this is what I want to be doing.

This year has been as blessing, or a “record year” as Eric Church would call it. I have made strides and grown my relationships both personally and professionally. I don’t think I have ever been in as good of a place as I am now. There is still so much to do, but I think I’m in pretty good shape so far.

If I could go back to a year ago I would tell myself to be optimistic. The end of school isn’t the end of the world. It’s the end of a chapter, but the book is nowhere near over. To anyone who may be currently facing your first year after college, I would tell you that same thing: stay optimistic. Good things will come. This year may end up being far better than you could’ve ever expected.

[Photo by Chelsey Satterlee.]